If you purchased your health insurance plan through healthcare.gov or your local state exchange, you have an Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliant plan, which means you have mental health insurance coverage. All ACA-compliant insurance plans must include mental health insurance coverage as one of the 10 essential health benefits.

Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being. A mental health practitioner can help you manage stress and anxiety or more critical illnesses such as depression or substance use disorders.

Mental Health Insurance Coverage: The Three Categories

1. Behavioral treatment, such as psychotherapy or counseling

2. Mental and behavioral health inpatient services

3. Substance use disorder treatment

Depending on your plan, you’ll likely have to pay a fee for mental health services (called a copay), but all plans come with a few free benefits, including:

• Depression screening for adults

• Behavioral assessments for children

• Alcohol misuse screening and counseling for anyone who abuses alcohol or is in danger of abusing alcohol

What Does My Specific Plan Cover?

1. Visit the Insurance tab on your Stride dashboard.

2. Next, click the blue link that says “View plan info.”

3. Scroll down to “Doctors". Click on the link.

4. Under the mental health section, click on the link to your plan’s “Summary of Coverage.”

This will take you to your insurance provider’s site where you can view your individual plan’s document. Be sure to look for a section labeled “mental/behavioral health” or “substance abuse” that looks similar to this:

In this mental health insurance coverage example, the member will pay $35 for each outpatient. Your mental health insurance coverage may be different, so follow the steps above to find out the costs for your specific plan.

I’m Looking for Extra Support; What Is Out There?

Feel like your plan’s coverage just isn’t cutting it for you? In addition to professional counseling, most communities offer free supportive services. Here are a few options for you to consider:

• Hotlines offer immediate support for people experiencing an emotional crisis or suffering from mental health problems. You can expect emergency support and crisis intervention when you call a hotline. You can find a list of common hotline phone numbers here.

• Warmlines also offer support for people suffering from mental health problems, but serve to provide assistance, comfort, and referrals. Calling a warmline can be a great way to find out about services in your area and local professionals. To find your local number, try Googling “warmline” and your state.

• Drop-in centers exist to provide a safe and supportive environment for those suffering from mental health problems. You can expect to find organized activities and services in a friendly environment.

• Support groups are offered in most communities at churches and schools for a variety of mental health problems including alcoholism, drug abuse, and eating disorders. Most of these groups are anonymous and you can find them by doing a simple Google search of “support group” and your city.

Still have questions about your coverage? Feel free to email support@stridehealth.com. We can help you find your plan’s mental health insurance coverage and help you find the right mental health practitioner for you!